Current-wheel



W. S. DRISCOLL AND W. F. DAVIS.

' CURRENT WHEEL.

APPLICAHON FLED SEPT. 30. |918.

l ,$05,888. Patented June 3, 1919.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEToE.

yWINFIELD s. DnIscoLL AND WALTER. E. DAVIS, oEl GRETNA, NEBRASKA.

CURRENT-WHEEL. y

Application mea september 3o, 191s.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WINFIELD S. Durs- CoLL and WALTER F. DAvrs, citizens of the United States, residing at Gretna, in the county of Sarpy and 'State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Current-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a power device to be operated by either water or air currents.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a cheap and simply constructed wind or. water wheel of the above type, which permits of manual angular adjustments of its vanes during operation and which is efficient in operation.

The invention further resides in sundry details of construction which will be Vhereinafter more fully described and claimed.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention as now devised,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the-current wheel with the vanes adjusted to inoperative position,

Fig. 2 isa side view of the wheel with the vanes in extended position and having portions shown in section tomore yclearly illustrate details of construction, and

Fig. 3 is a Jfragmentary detail section of a modified construction of the vane adjusting mechanism.

With particular reference to the drawings, 1 denotes a wheel, to be arranged preferably in horizontal position, mounted fast on a shaft 2 supported in suitable bearings at vits end portions. clamped on the shaft 2 between plates 3 and 4, which may or may not be adjustable on said shaft, as may be desired. The wheel has, preferably, depending from its under side a plurality of vanes 5 having one of their longitudinal edges positioned radially relatively to the shaft 2 and hinged to the ,wheel 1 by any suitable means, such as indicated by 6. ith this construction the vanes will 'drop under their own weight and normally lie at right angles to the wheel, thus presenting their side faces to the pressure of the fluid current--water or wind as the case may be.

Mounted preferably onthe upper face of the wheel 1, is a shiftable vane adjusting member 7, in the lform of a ring having spokes or radial arms 7a connecting it to a hub 71J surrounding the shaft 2. Each vane 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

The 4wheel as here shown is. .This adjustment, however,

Patented June 8, 1919.`

Serial No. 256,179,

is4 connected to the ring 7 by a chain S, or other flexible member, which has one end thereof secured to the vane, preferably, at an outer corner of its distal edge, and its other end connected to the ring at a point 9 to the rear of the vane. rAll the vanes are correspondingly connected to ring 7 in order that there will be similarity of action among them. Therefore, with this construction, assuming that the pressure of the current is in the direction indicated by the arrows X in Fig.y 1, the pressureiwill be exerted' on the vanes at the left side of the wheel which are maintained in their extended position by the chains 8, it being `obvious that the vanes at the right side of the wheel will be collapsible or folded by said pressure to the position indicated by dotted line in Fig.. 1, but will successively drop to extended position and present their side faces to the current pressure as the wheel 1 is rotated. This same operation will occur regardless of the direction or quarter from which the fluid current comes. Now under certain conditions, it is desirable to vary the extended `positions of vanes, or in other words to vary the degree the vanes will open from their collapsed position. .This is accomplished by rotatably shiftingl the ring 7 relatively to the wheel 1 in the direction necessary to make the adjustment desired. This movement of the ring. will lengthen or shorten the distance between the pivoted edge of each vane and the points of connection 9, thereby permitting the vane to normally lie perpendicular to the wheel 1 or at an acute angle thereto. does not hinder the vane from collapsing under the current pressure to lie in juxtaposition relative with the wheel 1. The rotatable adjustment of the ring 7 is, preferably, obtained by a hollow shaft 10, through which the shaft 2 extends, having a gear or segment 11 thereon meshing vwith internal teeth on the hub 7b of the ring 7, a suitable operating handle 12 being rigidly connected with the shaft 10. The operating handle 12 is to be accessible to an operator on the ground. To maintain the ring 7 and wheel 1 against relative movement, during operation of the latter, any suitable means may be employed. However, there is here shown a spring pressed pawl 13 slidable in a housing 13a on the handle 12, which pawl will normally engage a gear or segment 14 on the shaft 2. The pawl may be disengaged from the gear 14 by a grip v the :same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception of the yshafts, 2' and lO- being in verted. Therefore, the same reference char# a'cters, distinguished by the exponents c, are used in both embodiments. It will be noL ticed also that in Fig. 8, the Vdrive shaftcis hollow having the ring adjusting shaft 10 is provided on each drivel shaft 2 andl 2 to permit the power to be taken therefrom.

Having thus described the invention as at present devised, it is to be understood that l certain lchanges in the construction and 'coni-y bination of parts may be made that fall l within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is-:- Y 1. A current wheel having van'es normally lying substantially at right angles to the wheel and collapsible under current pressure, a ring carried by the wheel andV shiftable relatively lthereto, and connections between said vanes and said ring. v 2. A currentwheel having vanes normally lying substantially at rightangles thereto and collapsible under current pressure, a ring carried by the Wheel and rotatable rela= tively thereto, and-flexible connections bef'- tween said vanes-and said ring.y 3. A current wheel having vanes normally lying substantially at right angles thereto and collapsible under current pressure, a

ringcarried by the wheel and rotatable rela-v tively thereto, flexible connections between said vanes and said `ring',"a driven shaft havlng said wheel fast thereto, another shaft parallel'V with said rst shaft and operatively lconnected with said ring, a handlel means for operating vsaid last shaft, and means 'normally maintaining. said ring and wheel tively thereto," said ring having a hub p'o-rv tion provided with Yinte-rnal gear teeth, a flexible connection between each vane and said ring, a pair of concentric shafts, one having said wheel fast thereon andthe other shaft having a gear thereon meshing with extending therethrough. -A gear -19 and 19c Y the teeth of saidvhub, means normally preventing-relative.movement between said ring an'dwheel, and an operating handle for said other shaft.v l

5. A current wheel having van'es normally lying substantially atA right angles thereto and. collapsible under 4current pressure, a ring carried by the wheel and rotatablev'rela# tively" thereto, said rinfg'having a hub por-y tion provided with internal flexibleconnecti'on between each vane and said. ring, a pair of nested shafts, one having said wheel fast thereon Yand the other shaft having a gear' thereon meshing with the .gear teeth, a f

teeth of said hub, an operating handle for 1 said other shaft, 'a pawl on said handle engageable with the teeth on the wheel shaft, and' a grip lever pivoted on the handle and having connection with aidv 'pawl to disengage the same. Y In testimony whereof we aiiX our signatures.

' kWINFIELI) Sf. DRISCOLL.

`WALTER F. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained furvive cents each, by `addressing thek Gommissioner of Patents, I washigtomn e. v 

